"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." - Shel Silverstein

Saturday, August 1, 2009

NICU Reunion

Today we took Marissa to her NICU reunion.  We were able to see a couple of Marissa's doctors and nurses.  There was tent with pictures of the current NICU nurses on a billboard and I was disappointed that I did not see a lot of the nurses who cared for her on there.  They either didn't have their picture taken or they no longer work there.  :(  

But other than not being able to catch up with many of Marissa's great nurses, we had a good time.  We met up with our good friends Milo and Kevin (and their awesome parents, of course! :)

Here are some pictures of the day:

Marissa:  Hey Milo, something's different about you but I can't figure it out."


Milo:  "Here's my nose!!!"

Marissa:  "Yeah great, you have a nose, but something is different about you man.  I mean, just look at your neck..."


Milo:  "There's Marissa's nose!!!"

Marissa:  "OK dude, enough with the noses!!  Ah-ha!  I figured it out!  You got your trach out!! WOW, you look great!!"



Milo and Marissa:  "Something is also different with Kevin.  WOW, he is not on the ventilator anymore!!!  Wow Kevin, you look great!!!"

Kevin:  "Nothing gets past you two, huh?"



The adorable shirt Marissa is wearing was made by Milo's mom, Janay.  On the back it says "I am a neck breather"


This is Dr. Bob.  He is the one who was instrumental in getting Marissa home without having to wait months and months for private duty nursing.  Thanks Dr. Bob!!


This is Nurse Sue.  She was Marissa's nurse quite a few times before Marissa was sent to Denver.  After we got back, Marissa never had her again.  Sad because we love Nurse Sue!!


This is Dr. Mary.  We loved her because she always brought such a calming presence to the NICU.  She re-intubated Marissa after she self-extubated one time.  She asked me if I wanted to step out (watching your baby be intubated is not a pretty sight) but I decided to stay.  She then encouraged me to help out by stroking Marissa's head and let her know she was going to be OK. She helped me feel calm during a very tense situation.  Thanks Dr. Mary!! 

I didn't get a picture of her, but we also saw Nurse Victoria.  Funny thing is, in the entire 2 1/2 months Marissa spent in the NICU, Nurse Victoria was only her nurse once, the second to last day she was there.  But, she was primary for a little baby who shared a pod with Marissa so we were always around her.  Even though she was only Marissa's nurse the one time, she always came over and checked on her.  She really cared about our little girl.  Thanks Nurse Victoria!!

Riss Riss just being her cute little self.

Headed home!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

7 comments:

Michelle said...

Wow! Congrats to the NICU graduates! I loved the conversation between Milo and Marissa!

Love you guys!
Auntie Chelle

PS: Thank God the weather held out for this!

Hope said...

Awe... What a great post. Love the shirt!! It looks like you've made some friends for life in that NICU.

The VW's said...

Looks like a wonderful day! Glad that you enjoyed yourselves! I bet there is a huge bond with those families and medical staff! Have a great rest of your weekend! Thanks for sharing.....I love the pictures and the "coversation" between Marissa and Milo! CUTE!!!

Colleen said...

That is SO awesome! It's so nice to see the people who walked alongside the tears and joy of those first few months. I saw Isaac's primary nurse last month and it was just the coolest to see her again because she went through so much with us. That's the thing..you never forget them!

ANewKindOfPerfect said...

It looks like a great time! How wonderful to be able to see the nurses and doctors in a peaceful, relaxed setting. I love Marissa's shirt!

Tamara said...

ok you are like the total hip momma when it comes to getting involved! How in the world this this NICU reunion come about??? Do you organize all this? I love that everyone comes together! Great photo's as always and I love all the conversation bit! Keep up the great work, so many wonderful memories you are creating!!!

Nana and PaPa said...

It brings a tear to my eye to see all the nurses and an occassional doc in these pics knowing they had Marissa's litte life in their care. It also brings back memories of the NICU reunion I was part of as a nurse so many years ago. Trust me, this is as much a reward for the medical personnel as it is for the families. Thanks for sharing...love you guys!
Love,
Nana & PaPa
P.S. LOVE the shirt and the "conversation" between Rissa Roo and Milo....too funny!